How to Cope With Difficult Homework or Exams

Co-authored by Nathan Fox, JD

Last Updated: January 20, 2022

Every child will detest homework and have a raging temptation to burn that piece of paper with algebra equations or difficult questions. For you teenagers out there who are taking exams for your final GCSE/A-Level results this year or next, this topic will give you straight advice on how to cope with the hard work coming your way.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Pre-Exam Studying

1
Attend every class. If you do not attend school everyday, you will miss out very important skills, tactics and teachings which could help you with your homework and exams in the future. Do not miss out and keep attending your classes.
2
Concentration. It is very important for you and the other classmates around you to concentrate on the topic you are studying. When you have an assigned homework at the end of the unit and are studying for it you will understand the questions and the assignment given to you.

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3
Start revising at least three months beforehand, it is the key to a successful beginning and ending. Your teacher and determined classmates will encourage you to revise the topics you have been learning for the past semester or two to prepare you for your final exams; do not ever start an exam without revising the subjects you are requested to revise on, otherwise you could end up giving yourself a headache, a high stress level and, to make matters worse, a very bad set of grades.
4
Know your deadlines. Homework is very important for learning and also gives you an opportunity to revise and understand the topics properly.
5
Take part in after school catch up activities. Yes, you may be tired and bored of work after 6 hours of school, but if you really want to earn your desired grades, encourage yourself to turn up to after school classes, they will boost your knowledge and show your teachers you are dedicated to work and prosper in the future, and you may find revising and doing exams easier and you will feel great for yourself for taking part in these activities. You can also catch up on unfinished assignments, essays and other unfinished work which will save you the trouble of having to rush things in class later on.
6
Read plenty of books and make time to self study at home. If you have exams coming after the summer, Easter or winter break, then you have an opportunity to boost your knowledge at home or at a local library, not only reading can boost your vocabulary and give you an ability to understand certain words and techniques, but they can also boost your knowledge very quickly, and what's more, reading books will make you relax and is a great stress reliever; it may be boring to some, but to others it is for a good cause in future exams and essays.
7
Get plenty of sleep. A day or maybe even a week before an exam, be sure to get at least nine to ten hours of sleep every night.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Nathan Fox, JD
Academic Tutor
Expert Interview. 15 November 2019.} This will increase your brain power the next day and make you feel awake in the early hours of the morning, you will just find that your grades will be great, and your concentration levels will be high throughout the day, also you will be highly alert and you will have complete energy.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

After-Exam Copying

1
Stay hydrated, there is no way you will ever get anywhere without a bottle of water during an exam, drink plenty of water and make sure your invigilator or exam leader allows water to be brought into the exam room first. If not, try to drink at least 4 cups or at least one liter of water before an exam. When you finish an exam or a set of exams, you must drink at least 2 liters (0.5 US gal) of water afterward; you will feel extremely worn out and thirsty after an exam, so stick to your fluids before and after an exam and you will feel much better.
2
After exam meditation. If you have completed a set of exams during the day, relax yourself and regain your energy by having some water to drink and a healthy snack to eat, don't drink anything with high amounts of caffeine, as this type of drinks will make you feel run down, even when they make you feel active at first, the same applies to snacks. Do not eat anything with too much sugar or fats, try to eat a piece of fruit or a granola bar.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

General Academic Success Habits

1
Be organised. Many students purposely do not bring certain equipment to class. If you are one of these forgetful people, put up a reminder of what you need to bring to school and stay organised. People who do not come in organised will suffer in exams and their grades will drop down, or even be disqualified.
2
Be positive. the only way you will ever gain self confidence in an exam, is to stay optimistic throughout the exam, being negative will only lead you to instant failure and a lack of self-esteem in the long run, so smile and be glad you have tried your best and just have faith in your work regardless on how good or bad you are in the subject.
3
Reward yourself if you have made a tremendous amount of effort. It is always good to get praised by teachers, but you need to praise yourself also for your successes in life, treat yourself to a hot chocolate or to a movie, always take pride in yourself and in your work, and you will have no problems in future exams and classes, because you will feel successful about passing your exams and have a bright clear idea of what your future beholds.

Community Q&A

Question

Can you cram for an exam in one day?

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon
Nathan Fox is an LSAT teacher, the co-host of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, and the co-founder of LSATdemon. Nathan is the author of six LSAT books including The Fox LSAT Logical Reasoning Encyclopedia. He scored a 179 on the February 2007 LSAT and holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Nathan Fox, JD

LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Answer

No, you can't. Studying isn't about racing against the clock and seeing how much you can cram—it's about getting the most out of your study sessions.
Question

Can you cram for LSAT in 1 night?

Nathan Fox, JD
LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon
Nathan Fox is an LSAT teacher, the co-host of the Thinking LSAT Podcast, and the co-founder of LSATdemon. Nathan is the author of six LSAT books including The Fox LSAT Logical Reasoning Encyclopedia. He scored a 179 on the February 2007 LSAT and holds a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Nathan Fox, JD

LSAT Teacher, Founder of LSATdemon

Expert Answer

You're better off rescheduling your test altogether. Most people need at least 3 months to feel totally prepared and ready for the LSAT.
Question

If I am ill during school, how do I catch up?

Ashtyn Felton

Community Answer

The best way to get information on the days you missed is by consulting a teacher or friend about what information was reviewed, what homework was handed out and if anything new has come up during class. Also, ask if there were any notes taken that you can copy, or if they made a copy for you.

Warnings

Do not put yourself into a position where you cannot do a certain method or technique. Make things easy for yourself and take your time.

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Do not attempt to overwork yourself; you will end up extremely tired and put your health and grades at risk.

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Do not plagiarize. Keep all of your work original.

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Too much of anything is bad for you. Don't drink too much water; listen to your body.

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